The Green Magic of Kale
🎧 Prefer to listen? Here’s the narrated version of this post.
You know how whole food advocates like me love to say there's no magic bullet for health and longevity? Well, kale might just fit. And if when I said the word kale you though of limp, slimy green blob monsters that may or may not be drenched in vinegar, I'm happy to tell you that you can fire the chef that served that (no offense to your grandma) and make kale delicious and healthier.
So Why is Kale the Real Deal
Kale, one of the cruciferous veggies, is one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. It’s rich in vitamins A, C, and K, providing well over 100% of your daily needs in just one cup. It also delivers folate, manganese, calcium, potassium, and even a bit of plant-based iron. But kale’s health benefits go far beyond its impressive nutrient list.
What makes kale especially exciting is its role in supporting your blood vessels and heart. It’s packed with natural nitrates—compounds that your body converts into nitric oxide, a molecule that helps relax and dilate blood vessels, improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure. In fact, a 2021 study in the European Journal of Epidemiology linked just one daily serving of leafy greens with a 12–26% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
It’s important to note that this nitrate-to-nitric-oxide pathway relies on your oral microbiome. Using strong antibacterial mouthwash twice daily can actually impair your ability to produce nitric oxide by killing off the beneficial bacteria needed to activate those plant-based nitrates. In other words, chewing kale might be better for your heart than you thought—especially if you skip the Peridex and Listerine.
Kale also contains glucosinolates—compounds that convert to isothiocyanates during digestion. These compounds support your body's detox pathways, regulate inflammation, and have been studied for their cancer-protective properties. Combined with its fiber content, which supports the gut microbiome, kale is a true multi-system ally.
It's great to lower cholesterol, support the immune system, and boost collagen synthesis.
Some Things to Note
Kale is a super food, to be sure, but there are a couple of instances where care needs to be taken.
People on blood thinners (e.g. Coumadin) may not want to have a drastic change in their kale consumption, since vitamin K helps blood to clot. A significant change in how much a person eats can affect how well their blood thinner works. It's still a great idea to add kale. These folks just need to work with their clinicians to make sure their medication is adjusted to match their dietary intake of vit. K.
If you've had conversations with your doctor about watching your potassium intake, let them know you want to increase your consumption of kale.
The Broader World of Kale
Kale is a low-input, high-output crop. It grows quickly, tolerates cooler seasons, and doesn’t require heavy irrigation or pesticides. That said, kale is on the Dirty Dozen list, so the pesticides used in conventional growing do tend to remain on the leaves in the grocery store. So if you buy conventional, wash thoroughly.
Kale isn’t just good for you and the environment—it’s also deeply rooted in food traditions across Europe and the U.S., from Scottish broths to Portuguese caldo verde. There was even a Scottish tradition of using kale for marriage divination.
Growing your own, even in a pot on your porch, is a great way to connect with this resilient plant—and add something fresh to your plate each week.
Choosing and Storing Kale
Fresh kale should have dark green (or sometimes purple) leaves that are firm and not wilted. Smaller leaves tend to be more tender and less bitter. You used to see my favorite variety—Red Russian—in stores more often, but these days it's mostly red, green curly, and lacinato (also called dinosaur kale). If you’re planning to use kale in smoothies, lacinato tends to blend best.
If you have room in your fridge—especially a tall shelf—you can store your kale like a bouquet: upright in a jar or container with water in the bottom.
Alternatively, wash your kale when you get home, then spin it in a salad spinner if you have one. With bigger greens (kale, collards, etc.), I grab either a tea towel or papertowels and line the kale along it, putting another piece over the top. I then roll it up like a burrito and put it into a storage container (re-use plastic produce bag, or put in another plastic-free storage dish).
Kale stored this way can last up to a week, if you're able to let it sit without eating it for that long.
No Slime Allowed
If your only memory of kale is soggy and overboiled, let this be your reintroduction. When cooked lightly or used raw, kale retains its structure, flavor, and even a bit of bite.
Kale is incredibly versatile. Toss it into soups, stews, or pasta dishes at the end of cooking. Blend it into a smoothie with banana and lemon juice. Finely chop it into grain bowls, mix it into veggie burgers or fritters, or stir into a tofu scramble. You can even blend it into pesto with garlic, lemon, and walnuts.
The key is not overdoing the cook time—just enough heat to soften without wilting it into oblivion.
Try steaming it for just a minute or two, or sautéing with a splash of water or broth. Better yet, massage raw kale with lemon juice or a bit of tahini—it softens beautifully and makes a perfect salad base. And if you want a crunchy snack, bake kale chips tossed in aquafaba and nutritional yeast until crisp.
Eating greens throughout the day keeps your nitric oxide levels elevated throughout the day. If you want to give that a try, use smoothies in the morning, kale in salads in the afternoon, kale chips for snacks, and kale as a side dish for dinner. Sound crazy? Maybe. But once you realize how delicious kale can be, I think you might change your mind.
Final Thoughts
Kale might be having a long moment in the spotlight, but the science—and the flavor—back it up. It’s a nutrient-dense, heart-healthy, eco-friendly green that deserves a permanent place in your rotation. Just keep it out of the boiling pot, and you might discover it’s one of your new favorite ingredients.
Resources & Fun
Why kale might be better than spinach, chard, and beet greens, at least eaten in quantity.
A funny journalistic piece about the PR behind kale
Explore my bookshop.org store for books on the biome and related subjects.
(This blog is not intended to diagnose or treat disease. I am not a physician. Please consult your physician for any medical advice. Thanks.)
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